Heated salt storage cabinet



Sept. 5, 1961 HEATED SALT D. L. ESPENHAIN STORAGE CABINET Filed Sept. 11, 1959 E IG v 44 I G: r 'es 30 I 7 f 24 I 28 INVENTOR. :DoMALD L.. ESPEHHPJN ATTDBZMEYS United States Patent 2,999,145 HEATED SALT STORAGE CABINET Donald L. Espenhain, 1606 Young Ave., Clearwater, Fla. Filed Sept. 11, 1959, Ser. No. 839,453 3 Claims. (Cl. 219-35) This invention relates to a novel heated cabinet for storing table salt shakers and keeping the salt therein in a dry condition.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an electrically heated device of this kind which is adapted to be mounted on the face plate of an electrical wall outlet, with the heating element plugged into a receptacle thereof, whereby the problems of support of the device on a wall and of connecting the same to a current source are simplified and a compact arrangement is obtained wherein no wires or connectors are exposed and wall space is occupied by the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, efiicient, highly practical, and easily used device of the character indicated above, which can be readily made of a variety of readily avialable lightweight materials in decorative, rugged, and easily cleaned forms, at relatively low cost.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following descrip tion, taken with the accompanying drawing, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a device of the invention mounted on an electrical wall outlet, the door of the device being in open position;

FIGURE 2 is a rear perspective view of the device per se;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2; and,

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral generally designates a vertical support, such as a wall, into which is inset, in a conventional manner, a duplex or dual electrical outlet 12, having upper and lower receptacles 14 and 16, respectively, which are exposed through related portions of a removable face plate 18 which is held in place by a screw 20 located between the receptacles. The outlet 12 constitutes no part of the present invention, except in combination with a device of the invention, generally designated 22.

The device 22 comprises a lightweight, preferably rectangular cabinet 24, having a bottom wall 26, end walls 28 and 30, respectively, a top wall 32, and a back wall 34. These walls are preferably imperforate, except as hereinafter stated. The cabinet 24 has an open front which is defined by the coplanar common forward edge 36 of the related walls, and which is closed by a door 38. In a molded plastic or other molded construction of the cabinet, as shown in the drawing, the door 38 is hinged on the cabinet by means of spaced ears 40 on the rear side of the door at a related end thereof, and spaced ears 42 on the outer side of the end wall 30', with hinge pins 44 engaged through related ears. For urging the door toward closed position, springs 46 are positioned between related cars 40, 42 and have coils 48 surrounding the hinge pins 44, and free ends 50 and 52 which bear against the outer side of the end wall 30 and the door, respectively. The spring ends 52, as shown in FIGURE 5, are anchored by being passed through holes 54 in the door 38, with lateral terminals 56 engaged with the front side of the door. A knob handle 58 is secured through the door 38 near its free edge.

The back wall 34 of the cabinet 24 is formed close to the top wall 32 with a single centralized hole 69, through which the outlet face place holding screw 26 is adapted to be passed and threaded back into place in the outlet structure, through the face plate 18, so as to hold both the cabinet and the face plate mounted to the receptacle 12, with the top wall of the cabinet spaced below and expos ing the upper receptacle 14, and with the lower receptacle 16 covered by the cabinet wall 34.

The cabinet back wall 34 is formed with a centralized opening 62 spaced below the screw hole 6 3, which is dimensioned and located to register with and expose the lower receptacle, the opening being slightly larger in diameter than the base 64 of the socket 65 of an electrical heating element, such as a low voltage, miniature lamp bulb 66, the base 64 having prongs 68 which are engaged in the lower receptacle 16. The base 64 then serves, in conjunction with the edge of the opening 62, to prevent tilting of the cabinet on the axis of the screw 20. The invention contemplates any suitable form of plug-in heating element and does not require that the same provide lighting for the cabinet 24, as does the bulb 66. The cabinet bottom wall 26 is provided, near the back wall 34, with a longitudinal ventilation slot '70, to supply air to and prevent overheating of the cabinet, and to vent the condensation which results from drying of salt in salt shakers 72 which are stored within the cabinet, and rest upon its bottom wall 26, as shown in FIGURE 1.

While there has been shown and described a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a support, an electrical outlet fixed on said support, said outlet having a socket and a face plate through which said socket opens, an electrical heating element engaged in said socket and extending away from the face plate, a cabinet having aback wall provided with an opening through which the heating element extends into the cabinet, and mounting means securing said back wall to the face plate.

2. In combination, a support, an electrical outlet fixed on said support, said outlet having a socket and a face plate through which said socket opens, an electrical heating element engaged in said socket and extending away from the face plate, a cabinet having a back wall provided with an opening through which the heating element extends into the cabinet, and mounting means securing said back wall to the face plate, said mounting means com- 3 it screw extending through said back wall and threaded into the face plate.

3. In combination, a support, an electrical outlet fixed on said support, said outlet having a socket and a face plate through which said socket opens, an electrical heating element engaged in said socket and extending away from the face ,plate, a cabinet having a back wall provided with an opening through which the heating element extends into the cabinet, and mounting means securing said back wall to the face plate, said mounting means comprising a screw extending through said back wall and 4 threaded into the face plate, said cabinet having an open front, and a door hinged on the cabinet for closing said open front.

5 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,845,432 McRae Feb. 16, 1932 2,527,101 Maddox Oct. 24, 1950 10 2,651,703 Atkins Sept. 8, 1953 2,691,716 Wellens Oct. 12, 1954 

